


Rules of Magic

by Graceful_Storyteller



Series: Stranger in the Nest [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012), Thor (2011)
Genre: Gen, Loki schemes, New Family, Odin has a bad feeling about this, Prequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-19
Updated: 2012-07-19
Packaged: 2017-11-10 07:07:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/463568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Graceful_Storyteller/pseuds/Graceful_Storyteller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"I know what I am doing and I would appreciate it if you would show a little faith in me for once in my life.” Loki turns away with a self-depreciating smile. “You never know, my interference with time might just be the thing that prevents the world from ending.”</i>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In which Odin pays Loki a visit and Loki politely tells Odin to back off. </p>
<p>Prequel to 'Brothers'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rules of Magic

**Author's Note:**

> I was astounded by the demands for more so I quickly typed this up. Just a bit of background on what Loki's meddling with time involves. Expect a sequel to follow, although not as quickly as that scene isn't as clear in my mind as this one was.

It is the first day of summer and the park is full of children. Odin smiles as he watches the tiny mortals play around him. It lightens his heart to see them so engrossed in their games and resurrects fond memories of his own sons’ childhoods. Both his boys are now grown, although at times they still act as if they were children. Thor spends far too much time engaging in war games and boasting of his prowess at them, whilst Loki still plays tricks and seeks out mischief wherever he can. It saddens and worries Odin that neither of his boys is yet ready to take his place as king; the Odinsleep draws near and he is uncomfortable with the idea of leaving his kingdom in the hands of either of his sons. If only Thor had Loki’s diplomacy or Loki Thor’s sense of honour. Speaking of his youngest...

 

A child of raven hair and pale skin, no more than three mortal years of age, sits beside Odin on the wooden bench on which he has been waiting. The boy’s legs do not touch the ground and instead dangle carelessly over the edge of the bench on which he is perched. He is dressed in green shorts and a shirt with a design that Odin does not recognise. The boy stares ahead, seemingly unaware of Odin’s presence.

 

“Loki,” Odin greets softly.

 

“AllFather,” the boy returns quietly, his emerald eyes still trained ahead of him.

 

“What are you doing here?” Odin asks in the same hushed tone, his head turned so that he can watch the boy out of the corner of his good eye.

 

“Mother thought it the perfect day to picnic in the park,” Loki replies like the innocent child whose form he has taken.

 

 “Loki,” Odin warns, a frown creasing his brow.

 

Loki flashes him a sly grin that seems out of place on his youthful face. “Do not worry AllFather, I know what I am doing. I have a plan.”

 

Odin does not admit that this is what worries him the most about seeing Loki on Midgard. “You know the rules of magic Loki – time is delicate and should not be tampered with. If you alter events or meet the version of yourself that is still in Asgard the results could be catastrophic.”

 

“Rules were made to be broken.” At Odin’s disapproving stare Loki offers him a winning smile. “Relax Your Majesty. I promise I will be careful to alter history as little as possible and to steer well clear of my present self. I intend to keep a low profile whilst on Midgard. Drawing attention to myself would not sit well with my plans.”

 

“You have not said what these plans are. What are you hoping to achieve Loki? What could possibly be worth the risk of disrupting all of reality?”

 

“If I did not know any better I might think that you were condoning my actions; asking for details of the future could very well be considered tampering with time.”

 

“Loki,” Odin growls.

 

Loki turns to face him fully for the first time. “Do not interfere Odin. My plan does not concern nor include you. All you need to know is that I have thought long and hard about the consequences of my actions. I have a plan that includes contingencies for contingencies. Unlike Thor I do not rush into the unknown. I scheme and plot until I have accounted for every eventuality. I know what I am doing and I would appreciate it if you would show a little _faith_ in me for once in my life.” Loki turns away with a self-depreciating smile. “You never know, my interference with time might just be the thing that prevents the world from ending.”

 

Odin stares uneasily at his adopted son. Does this Loki know of his true parentage? If so how did he discover it? Odin burns to know, to understand the rage and resentment he senses in Loki, but the boy is right. To ask about the future is to risk temptation. If Loki tells him of his mistakes he may be unable to resist correcting them. Correcting said mistakes would alter the course of history and that was always a dangerous and ill-advised course of action. In many ways it was forbidden and Odin had decreed that mages in Asgard should not be instructed in time magic. He should therefore not be surprised that the god of mischief had discovered how to travel through time. ‘ _Rules were made to be broken’._ It seems even in the future Loki is still under the influence of the chaos in his blood.

 

Odin sighs. “Very well Loki,” he concedes. “I will allow the events you have set in motion to continue. I will even stay away from Midgard so as not to corrupt your designs.”

 

“Twenty-five years,” Loki interrupts suddenly. “Stay away for twenty-five mortal years. After that an Asgardian presence should not affect what I aim to achieve here.”

 

Odin regards Loki carefully and tries hard not to wonder what important event his avoidance of the mortals would affect. “I promise I will stay away from this place for the next twenty-five mortal years, but I will not turn a blind eye to your actions. You will be watched Loki. Closely.”

 

Loki’s grin is devious and amused. “I would not have it any other way AllFather.”

 

Just then a woman calls Loki’s name and waves to him. Loki waves back before returning his attention to Odin.

 

“Mother is calling me. Farewell AllFather.”

 

“Farewell Loki,” Odin replies as the small boy scrambles down from the bench. “Good luck with your endeavours, my son.”

 

Loki looks back at him with a smile that is obviously forced. He then runs over to the woman he now calls ‘mother’. She glances suspiciously at Odin as she strokes Loki’s hair and asks him if he is alright. Loki dismisses her concern and moves to stare into the pram beside the picnic blanket. The woman smiles in fond delight and removes a bundle of blankets from the pram. Loki sits and the bundle is handed to him. With the care reserved by all creatures for newborns, Loki cradles the blankets to his chest. A tiny hand reaches up for him and Loki surrenders a finger to the infant’s grasp. The smile that envelops Loki’s face is tender and nothing like the well-crafted grin that Odin is use to seeing on his son.

 

Odin stands and turns away from the scene. It unnerves him more than he thinks it should. Yet as he walks away he cannot rid himself of the image of Loki’s smile and the fact that not once did Loki refer to him as ‘father’.


End file.
